Regulator for brake rigging



Aug. 14, 1928.

' W. H. SAUVAGE REGULATOR FOR BRAKE RIGGING.

Filed Nov. 1, 1927 A TTORNE Y.

a ll

racemes ne 1d. i928.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFIGE.

WILLIAM H. SAUVAGE, on \NEW YORK, N. 2., ASSIGNOR. BY MESNE AS SIGNMEfiTS, To ROYAL RAILWAY IMPROVEMENTS CORPORATION, or NEW YORK, N. r, .e.

CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

REGULATOR FOR BRAKE RIqG-ING.

Application filed November 1,- 1927.

This invention relates to regulators for foundation brake rigging onrailway cars and will be hereinafter described'more particularly withrelation to its application to 5 the cylinder levers located near thecenter of the car altho of course it is to be understood that withoutmaterial modification, the regulating means is also applicable to otherpoints ofsupport for the various levers of the foundation brake rigging.As herein described, however, the regulator is an improvement over thetype shown in my pending application, Serial No. 195,713, filed June 1,1927. 4 In certain types of car rigging, it is desired to have amanually actuated regulating means which may be substantially instan-.taneously operated to adjust all of the brakes used in the entirecarwith regard to apredetermined relation as to proper piston travel andbrake shoe clearance'at all points- It is accordingly one of the mainobjects of this invention to provide a mechanism of this generalcharacter. which will permit a rapid and accurate adjustment of thebrakes and positively hold the parts in ad usted position until it isnecessary to further absorb the travel of thebrake shoes in excess ofdesired brake shoe clearance.

' A further object of the present invention is to provide a regulator ofthe above general character which may be easily and quickly applied tobrake rigging now in general use without needless waste. substitution ofparts, or other like objections.

Other objects will be in part obvious from the annexed drawings and inpart hereinafter indicated in connection therewith by the followinganalysis of this invention.

This invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of parts and in the unique relation of the members and inthe relative proportioning and disposition thereof, all as morecompletely outlined herein.

To enable others skilled in the art to fully comprehend the underlyingfeatures thereof that they may embody the same by the numerousmodifications in structure and relation contemplated by this invention,drawings depicting a preferred form of thein- Serial No. 230,348.

vention have been annexed as part of this CllSClOilllB and in suchdrawings, like charg ters 01 reference denote corresponding partsthroughout all of the-views, in which Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly insection,

showing such parts. of the complete apparatus as is necessary tounderstand the invention;

2 is a general plan view of the brake rigging and associated regulator;and

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional View of the take up mechanism. 7 V

Referring now to the drawings and par ticularly to Fig. 1, the numeral 4indicates the usual brake cylinder provided with a p ston 5, piston rod6, having at its end a bifurcated jaw 7 adapted to receive. one end ofthe live cylinder lever. The opposite end of the cylinder is preferablyprovided with a supporting lug S to which the regulator is adapted to besecured as by means of bolts 10. The regulator comprises an elongatedhousing 11 having an enlarged portion 12 and a closed cylindricalchamber 13 for shdably receiving a threaded take up rod 14 as itprogressively moves towards the left. Thus the closed chamber 13protects the rod 14 from dirt and snow. This take up rod 14 is providedat one end with a bifurcated aw member 15 adapted to receive one end ofthe dead cylinder lever 16. The jaws of the member 15 are provided withanelongated slot 17 of a length proportional to brake shoe clearance,along which a pin 18 passing thru lever 16 is adapted to have a freelost motion movement during the regulating operation. The lever 16 isextended to form a handle 20 or other suitable actuating means wherebythe supported end of the lever 16 may be conveniently and manually movedtowards the left. The threads on rod 14 are of high pitch and cooperatewith handle 24 extending from the pawl and pulling outwardly. A plug 19is threaded into an aperture in housing 11 to permit of ready insertionor removal of pin 18 thru lever 16.

In operation, the regulators work as follows. The operator grasps thehandle 20 and moves the lever 16 freely along the slot 17 towards theleft. This movement reacts thru the various parts of the foundationbrake rigging which is of well known standard construction, therebybringing the brake shoes into engagement with the peripheries of thewheels. .If the same are not in properly adjusted position with normalpredetermined clearance, or for instance, where excess travel exists atany point in the brake rigging,'the pin on 18 engaging the left end ofthe slot 17 causes a relative longitudinal movement of the threadedadjusting rod 14 with respect to the ratchet wheel 22. By reason of thehigh pitch engagement therebetween, the ratchet wheel rotates withrespect to the pawl 23 an amount equal to the excess travel, the pawlthen holding the ratchet wheel against return rotation. IVhen all of theexcess movement has been taken up. the handle 20 is released and may bemoved back to its normal or adjusted position. assumed to be theposition shown in Fig. .1, for the first application of the brakes. Theprovision of the slot 17 is important in this relation inasmuch aspositive brake shoe clearance is absolutely assured prior to applicationof the brakes.

The lever 16 and associated cylinder lever extend thru the slottedguideor brackets 25, which act as a stop therefor, whereby the brakes may beadjusted at the truck dead levers or bottom rod connection at both endsof the car without disturbing the desired angularity of the respectivebrake levers.

From the above, it will be clear that the present invention contemplatesa simple and practical regulator for foundation brake rigging which maybe instantaneously manually actuated when desired with the definiteassurance that all excess movement in the rigging will be absolutelytaken up over and above proper brake shoe clearance at the variouspoints of brake application. thus providing uniform predctern'iinedpiston travel.

lVithout further analysis, the foregoing will so fully re eal the gistof this invention that others can by applying current knowledge readilyadapt it for various applications without omitting certain featuresthat, from the standpoint of. the prior art. fairly constitute essentialcharacteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.and therefore such adaptations should and are intended to becomprehended within the meaning and range otequivalency of the followingclaims. I

I claim:

1. In a manually actuated regulator of the character described, incombination, a lever, one end of which is adapted to be supported by theregulator, said regulator including a housing, a high pitch threaded rodin said housing having a lost motion connection with the lever, and pawland ratchet mechanism associated with said threaded rod for absorbingmovement of the lever in excess of the lost motion.

2. In a manually actuated regulator of the character described, incombination, a lever, one end of which occupies a normally fixedposition, said regulator supporting the other end of said lever andcomprising a rod having a lost motion connection with the lever, saidlost motion being proportional to total brake shoc clearance, a ratchetnut having a threaded engagement with said rod, and a pawl cooperatingwith said ratchet nut and adapted to hold the same against reverserotation after excess movement v over and above the lost motion takesplace.

In a manually actuated regulator of the character described, incombination, a lever, one end of which occupies a relatively fixedposition, said regulator supporting the other end of said lever, andcomprising a housing closed at one end, a threaded rod slidably mountedin said housing, one end of said rod being provided with a slot of alength proportional to total brake shoe clearance, the other end of saidrod extending into the closed end of said housing, said lever beingoperatively connected with said rod, and permitted a free movementrelative thereto by said slot, a ratchet nut mounted in said housing andin threaded engagement with said rod, and a spring urged pawl permittingfrce rotation of said wheel in one direction when absorbing excesstravel of the brakes.

4-. In combination with the foundation brake rigging including brakelevers and limiting stop means therefor. a regulator in which one end ofone of said levers is supported, said regulator including a housing, ahigh pitch threaded rod slidable in said housing and having a lostmotion connection with the lever, and pawl and ratchet mechanismassociated with said threaded rod for absorbing a regulatingmovement ofthe lever in excess of the lost motion.

In combination with the foundation brake rigging including brake leversand limiting stop means therefor. a regulator,

one end of one of said levers being supported in said regulator and theother end occupying a normally fixed position, said regulator comprisinga rod having a lost motion connection with the lever. said lost motionbeing proportional to total brake shoe clearance, a ratchet nut having athreaded engagement with said rod, and a pawl cooperating with saidratchet nut and adapted to hold the same against rotation in onedirection when excess movement over and above the lost motion takesplace.

6 In combination with the foundation brake rigging including brakelevers and limiting stop means therefor, a regulator, one end of one ofsaid levers being supported in said regulator and the other endoccupying a normally fixed position, said regulator comprising a housingclosed at one end, a threaded rod slidab-ly mounted in said housing, oneend of said rod being provided with a slot of a length proportional tototal brake shoe clearance, the other end of said rod eX- tending intotheclosed end of said housing,

said lever being operatively connected with said rod, and permittedmovement relative thereto by said slot, a ratchet nut mounted in saidhousing and in threaded engage ment with said rod, and a spring urgedpawl 20 permitting free rotation of said nut in one direction whenabsorbing excess travel of the brakes.

7. In combination with the foundation brake rigging including brakelevers and limiting stop means therefor, a regulator in which one end ofone of said levers is supported, said regulator including a housing, ahigh pitch threaded rod slidab'le in said housing and having a lostmotion connection with the lever, and pawl and ratchet mechanismassociated with said threaded rod for absorbing a regulating movement ofthe lever in excess of the lost motion, and means for disconnecting saidpawl and ratchet whereby said rod may be restored to full releaseposition as when applying new brake shoes.

Signed at New York, New York, this 11th-

